Shimano rear mechs and shifters .............

proto

Am I right in thinking that all recentish 105/Ultegra/D-Ace rear mechs will work with any 8/9/10 speed sti levers? i.e the rear mech is 'universal'

Ta!

The Mechanic

I think you are right. The rear mechs will work with any shifter so long as the shifter and the cassette match. That means that you can use a 10 speed rear mech with 9 spd shifter and a nine spd cassette but you can't use a 10 speed shifter with a 9 speed cassette. 8 and 9 speed are fully interchangeable.